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By: Nikhil Reddy
When China re-acquired Hong Kong from the British in 1997, they did so under the assumption that they would follow a fifty-year plan known as “one country, two systems”. Under this framework, Hong Kong would have considerable autonomy from mainland China, but China has consistently imposed on Hong Kong’s supposed autonomy through various national security laws and changing the terms between the two countries. These policies have been devastating for the citizens of Hong Kong, as they have lost access to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and even arresting any public figures who spoke out against the mainland.
What are the terms of the relationship between Hong Kong and China?
Hong Kong has not always been a part of China, as the Qing Dynasty ceded Hong Kong to the British following their defeat in 1842 during the First Opium War. This meant that Hong Kong was completely separate from the Chinese Communist Revolution and Party, instead of growing as a capitalistic island acting as a British Colony. This “capitalist system and way of life” were meant to be preserved when, after 157 years, the UK ceded Hong Kong back to China. Under the current system, mainland Chinese officials don’t exert complete control over Hong Kong as they exert in mainland China, but still hold a large degree of influence. For example, Hong Kong can create international relationships in areas like trade, tourism, and even culture, but Beijing has complete control over Hong Kong’s defense and diplomacy. The stipulation regarding Hong Kong’s military means that Hong Kong has no standing military and its only form of defense comes from the Chinese military and its domestic police force. Hong Kongers are also guaranteed freedom of speech, press, and assembly, but Beijing has done nearly everything in its power to curtail these rights and integrate Hong Kong into mainland China.
How do Hong Kong’s elections actually work?
Under the “Basic Law” that governs Hong Kong (that China is allowed to interpret as they wish) one of the ultimate goals outlined is to have Hong Kong’s leader voted in by a popular vote. However, no deadline is given for this goal and no progress has been made with this goal in mind, as the chief executive (Hong Kong’s head of government) is elected through a specially appointed committee. This committee is made up of representatives of Hong Kong’s professional sectors and business leaders and each individual voter must be approved by the mainland government. This truly displays the lack of democracy in Hong Kong, as the Hong Kongers’ opinions and votes do not affect the actual election. The only way in which the average Hong Konger actually has any say in the life of Hong Kong is through the direct elections of only 35 (out of the 70 total) members of the Legislative Council (Hong Kong’s primary legislative council). The combination of the lack of direct voting for a head of government and only directly voting for half of the legislative body shows just how far from democracy Hong Kong truly is.
How has China attempted to remove Hong Kongers’ rights?
The trend of China eroding the special freedoms Hong Kong enjoys is not a new one. Even all the way back in 2003, the pro-China Hong Kong government proposed a policy that would have labeled all attempts at dissociating Hong Kong from China as treason, basically condemning all pro-Hong Kong leaders to trial in China for speaking up about Hong Kong’s democracy. These attempts went even further in 2012 when the Hong Kong government proposed a new school curriculum that would be much more pro-Chinese and even went so far as to be called propaganda. This trend continued with the policy surrounding the Umbrella Movement in 2014 (a law that would require all of Hong Kong’s policymakers to be approved by the Chinese government) and then all came to a breaking point in 2019. In 2019, a bill was proposed through the Legislative Council that would allow all criminals in Hong Kong to be extradited to China and tried there. This was seen as a breaking point for many Hong Kongers, especially young people and students who had seen their rights systematically removed over their entire lives. This breaking point sparked huge protests, lasting for months and met with police brutality, tear gas, and rubber bullets. Even now, China has perhaps taken its most extreme step yet with the proposal of new national security law in June of 2020. This law would take redefine the crimes like terrorism, subversion, secession, and collusion with foreign powers, meaning that even simple acts such as peaceful protests would be met with extreme force. The law extends to more than just the definition of a few crimes, however, as it allows China to create a permanent security force (existing outside of the already China-influenced police) and for China itself to have “influence” (total control) on the selection of the judges on national security trials. This law would effectively be the end of a free Hong Kong and would effectively fully assimilate Hong Kong into mainland China. The combination of all of these democracy infringing policies has resulted in Hong Kong’s fall from a financial, cultural, and democratic heart to a martyr to the dangers of Chinese hegemony.
When China reacquired Hong Kong from Great Britain following 157 years of colonial control over the territory, they did so under the guise of “one country, two systems” wherein Hong Kong would retain its democracy, but would be a part of China. However, over China’s two-decade control over Hong Kong, China has taken every action imaginable to erode Hong Kong’s democracy. These policies have not only infringed on Hong Kong’s democracy, but have fundamentally changed how both the world views China and Hong Kong, but also have changed how Hong Kongers go about their daily lives.
Discussion Questions:
What should be the international response to China's policies in Hong Kong?
Why has Taiwan been able to avoid the Chinese policies that have plagued Hong Kong?
How will these policies affect Hong Kong’s financial standing?
Why is it important to China that the voting electorate is made up of businesspeople, not common citizens?
Why were the 2019 protests effective in getting the extradition bill out of the legislature?
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